Where righteousness doth say,

Lord for my sinful part.

In wrath thou shouldst me pay,

Vengeance for my desart,

I can it not deny,

but needs I must confess,

how that continually

thy laws I do transgress,

thy laws I do transgress.

 

But if it be thy will

With sinners to contend,

Then all thy flock shall spill,

And be lost without end.

For who liveth here so right,

That rightly he can say,

He sins not in thy sight,

Full oft and every day?

 

The Scripture plain tells me

The righteous man offendeth

Seven times a day to thee,

Whereon thy wrath dependeth.

So that the righteous man,

Doth walk in no such path,

But he fall’th now and then

In danger of thy wrath.

 

Then sith the case so stands,

That even the man right wise

Fall’th oft in sinful bands,

Whereby thy wrath may rise,

Lord I that am unjust,

And righteousness none have,

Whereto then shall I trust,

My sinful soul to save?

 

But truly to that post,

Whereto I cleave and shall,

Which is thy mercy most,

Lord let thy mercy fall.

And mitigate thy mood,

Or else we perish all,

The price of this thy blood,

Wherein mercy I call.

 

The Scripture doth declare,

No drop of blood in thee.

But that thou didst not spare,

To shed each drop for me.

Now let those drops most sweet,

So moist my heart so dry,

That I with sin replete,

May live and sin may die.

 

That being mortified,

This sin of mine in me:

I may be sanctified,

By grace of thine in thee:

So that I never fall,

Into such mortal sin,

That my foes infernal,

Rejoice my death therein.

 

But vouchsafe me to keep

From those infernal foes,

And from that lake so deep,

Whereas no mercy grows.

And I shall sing the songs

Confirmed with the just,

That unto thee belongs,

Which art mine only trust.

Finis.